Believe in Yourself & Focus on Your Goals

Too many entrepreneurs report hearing, "It's not like you'll lose money..." from those who expect them to take time off after they've just launched their company and are scrambling to land on their feet running. "It's not like you're actually working or your work matters..." is maddening and inferred more often than stated outright.

What could possibly be more discouraging to an entrepreneur than being asked, "How much money have you made so far?" and hearing, "Oh, ouch. None?" when their product has only just reached the shelves, or their services are newly launched.

How many people with the potential to change the world are currently hiding behind dark cubicles, living their employer's work-life, because others offer less than positive feedback upon hearing their ideas?

Entrepreneurs hear it all, especially during the start-up phase of their ventures, if not before.

We must be quick to overlook the words of those who lack the entrepreneurial spirit and creative vision. There will always be those who simply do not, cannot or will not understand the difference between becoming job creators and remaining a job seeker. Not everyone is armed with knowledge and courage. How could they know that most of the world's successful entrepreneurs experienced a previous failure, or three, before getting it just right?

You must not allow other's lack of understanding or courage to distract you from your goals.

You must stay the course when surrounded by oceans of doubt to reach your destination, rather than sink, or worse yet - never set sail.

Having your ideas seemingly demeaned, especially by those closest to you, may sting; but nevertheless, you must continue to take your failures in stride, learn from your mistakes and continue forward.

Blinkers, or blinders, are a piece of horse tack that prevents a horse from seeing behind and to their side. Many racehorse trainers use blinkers to keep horses focused on what is before them, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions, like noisy crowds. Blinkers are also commonly used for driving horses, to keep them from being distracted or even spooked by crowded city streets.

When launching a venture, especially in the beginning during the start-up phase, it's crucial that the entrepreneur adopt a type of mental blinker mindset about their work. You must stay focused on the tasks at hand and not allow yourself to be distracted or spooked by mistakes that are behind you and the noisy crowds at your sides.

Because the start-up phase often does not provide immediate and tangible evidence of financial reward, many assume that the new entrepreneur isn't working at all (or worse, that their work is unimportant) and some may not be very understanding of the time and hard work that is involved.

The entrepreneur must set short as well as long-term goals and keep their own schedules despite distractions or lack of understanding from others.

If you don't consider your new venture a top priority or put your dream first, then who will?

At the OFBV Network, we've heard it all too, and we continue to move forward with belief in ourselves and what we do. And we believe in you, too! If you've not yet joined Open for Business Ventures' free entrepreneur community for social support and networking, please considering doing so now. The entrepreneurial spirit and positive mindset is truly contagious!